Circular knitting machines having a plurality of needle selection cams for the formation of tuck stitch patterns, underwelt patterns and the like



A. MAZZI CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES HAVING A PLURALITY 0F NEEDLE SELECTION CAMS FOR THE FORMATION OF TUCK STITCH PATTERNS, UNDERWELT PATTERNS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 8, 1960 I Feb. 5, 1963 Fig.1

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Office 3,076,326 Patented Feb. 5, 1963 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES HAVING A PLURALITY OF NEEDLE SELECTION CAMS FOR THE FORMATION OF TUCK STITCH PATTERNS,

UNDERWELT PATTERNS AND THE LIKE Aramis Mazzi, Via GB. 11, Florence, Italy Filed Sept. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 54,726 Claims priority, application Italy Sept. 8, 1959 6 Claims. (CI. 66-50) This invention relates to circular knitting machines.

According to the present invention there is provided a circular knitting machine having a plurality of selection cams located laterally of the needle cylinder for the selective operation of slide cams to cause the formation of tuck stitch patterns, underwelt patterns and the like, said-selection cams being disc shaped and mounted on a shaft, a support for said shaft and means for moving said support about the axis of the needle cylinder to move said cams between an operative and an inoperative position.

According to one feature of the invention said support comprises a member slidable along an arcuate track, said track being concentric with the axis of the needle cylinder.

According to another feature of the invention, means for rotating said cams comprises a drive shaft extending substantially radially with respect to the needle cylinder and having a pinion meshing in all positions of said cams with a ring gear rotatable with the needle cylinder.

The invention will be better understood from the following description and drawing of one embodiment of the invention. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a fragmentary plan view of a circular knitting machine, partly broken away and shown in section to illustrate details of construction;

FIGURE 2 illustrates a sectional view taken along the broken line II-II of FIGURE 1.

According to the drawing, a needle cylinder .1 is surrounded by a stationary platform 2 and additional cams 3 (FIGURE .1) are arranged one above the other to slide on a frame 4 carried by the platform 2. These slide cams 3 which are designed to act on the needle or jack butts, are urged by springs 5 in the direction of insertion and are controlled by means of bell-crank levers 6 pivoted at 7 to a vertical column carried by the stationary platform 2. The ends 6a of the bell-crank levers form tappets for cooperating with disc cams 8, of a selector device, the latter being known in the art. The number of disc cams 8 are at least equal to or, as in the embodiment described, double the number of the sliding cams 3. The cams 8 are mounted on a shaft 9 located laterally of and parallel to the axis of the cylinder 1. By means of control arms 11, movable around a shaft 12, borne by the platform 2, the levers 6 can be controlled independently of the disc cams 8 to effect the withdrawal thereof.

For the purpose of allowing the insertion of the cams 3 independently by the control arms 11 or by the profiles of the disc cams 8, the supporting unit of the shaft 9 of the disc cams is so arranged as to be movable parallel to the axis of the cylinder 1 and then transversely with respect to its own axis in such a manner as to move it away from the tappets 6a for the withdrawal from operation of the cams 8 and to return it into the working position so as to effect the control of the cams 3 by the cams 8. Moreover, the shaft 9 must rotate in a suitable gear ratio with respect to the rotation of the cylinder 1 without any risk of relative displacement. For this purpose the shaft 9 is mounted on a structure 12a which is provided with an arcuate extension 13 designed to co-operate with a track 14 formed or built-in under the platform 2, so that the extension 13 forms a slide supporting the assembly 12a, 13 for movement along the track 14 in an arcuate path about the axis of the cylinder 1.

Also on the structure 12:: is a horizontal shaft 16 arranged with its axis extending in a radial direction with respect to the cylinder 1. This shaft 16 is provided at its inner end with a bevel gear pinion 17 continuously meshing with a beveled ring gear 18 normally provided in circular hosiery machines for the manufacture of stockings under the platform 2 and arranged to rotate with the cylinder 1, this ring gear 18 forming part of the driving mwhanisrn for the needle cylinder. The radial shaft 16 is provided with a worm 16a which meshes with a toothed wheel 19 coaxial with the shaft 9 which can be coupled in a predetermined angular position with respect to the shaft 9.

According to the embodiment illustrated, there is provided a clutch member 21 (FIGURE 2) longitudinally slidable on the vertical shaft 9, but keyed thereto for rotation therewith. The clutch member 21 is moved by a fork member 22 mounted on a shaft 23 in such a way that the clutch member 21 may be coupled by means of a pin 21a which engages in a hole 19a in the worm wheel 19. There is only one hole 19a in the worm wheel 19 so that the shaft 9 may be coupled to the Worm wheel 19 by clutch member 21 only in a single predetermined angular relationship which positively assures correct phasing of the cams 8 with respect to the worm wheel 19, horizontal shaft 16, bevel gear 17 and ring gear 18. In the upper position of clutch member 21, the pin 21b engages in a hole 24a formed in a stationary plate 24 which holds the worm wheel 19 against rotation. At least one hole 24a is provided for this purpose. A control rod 23a, which may be manually operated, if desired, rotates the shaft 23 to raise or lower clutch member 21.

The two sets of cams designated generally as 8 may be moved axially upwardly or downwardly as a unit into either of two different positions so that the tappets 6a cooperate with the cams 8a of one set or the cams 8b of the other set, the cams 8a being interleaved between the cams 8b. For raising and lowering the cams 8, a lever 26 is provided which is actuated by a control rod 27. The lever 26 is integrally formed with a plate 26a freely rotatably mounted on shaft 9. The plate 26a is provided with a circularly arranged series of circumferentially spaced openings in which balls 28 are freely revolubly retained. The balls 28 roll in inclined grooves formed in the upper face of supporting structure 12a for the selective raising or lowering of a drum 29 on which the disc cams 8 are mounted, the drum 29 being splined to the shaft 9 for rotation therewith. A helical compression spring 30 tends to keep the drum 29 lowered. This arrangement allows the operation of one or the other of the above described two sets of cams 8a and 8b. The control rod 27 may be manually operated, if desired. A compression spring 27a acts against tension applied to the control rod 27.

With the described arrangement in whichever position the members 12a, 13 sliding on the track 14 of the stationary platform 2 may be, correct and constant meshing of the bevel gear 17 with the ring gear 18 is ensured.

In order to effect the movement of the slide 13 on the track 14, there is provided on the one hand a rocker lever 32 pivoted at 33 to the stationary platform and controlled by a control rod 34, the lever 32 acting on an extension 13a of the slide 13. The control rod 34 may be manually operated, if desired. On the other hand, a return spring 35 is provided between an extension 14a of the track 14 and an anchoring pin 36 carried by the unit 12a, 13 in such a way as to urge the unit 12a, 13 with the associated cams 8 towards an adjustable screw stop 37 which is carried by the extension 14a. The stop 37 defines the working position of the cams 8. Through the action on the tie rod 34 the movement of the slide 13 is eifected and thus the withdrawal of the cams 8 away from the position of engagement with the tappets 6a.

For the purpose of avoiding torsional stresses in the unit 12a, 13 along an axis tangential to the arcuate track 14 at the lower end of the shaft 9, a linkage is provided for transferring these stresses onto a structure carried by the platform 2. For this purpose a sleeve 41 provided on shaft 9 and formed with a lever 42 transfers the stresses through a connecting rod 43 on to a column 44 mounted on the structure of the platform This linkagetends to avoid the downward rotation of the structure 12a, 13, 9 with respect to the track 14.

It will be apparent that the above described embodiment enables the support for the cams 8 to be moved in a simple and accurate manner and in a manner such that there is no angular shift or displacement between the disc cams and the needle cylinder every time the disc cam unit returns into the working position.

What I claim is:

1. A hosiery machine provided with a grooved needle cylinder, an annular stationary table surrounding said cylinder, a bevel geared rim coaxial and integral with said cylinder and positioned below said table, a plurality of needle-controlling slider cams mounted in vertical spaced relation on said table and movable in a radial direction with respect to said cylinder, a support member arcuately and slidably carried on the uiderside of said table, a shaft vertically mounted in said support, a plurality of vertically spaced disc-shaped selection cams mounted on the upper portion of said shaft, -a plurality of bell crank levers mounted in vertically spaced relation on said table and each connected'at the outer end of one of its' arms to an outer end of a slider cam for radially moving the latter and each provided at the outer end of its other arm with a'tappet for normal engagement with one of said selection cams, independent means for moving said bell crank levers, and independent means for disengaging all of said selection cams from said tappets.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said lastnamed means includes a spring interconnecting said support and said table and adapted to urge said support in a direction where said selection cams engage said tappets, an extension carried by said support, a lever pivoted to said table and abutting said extension, whereby movement of said lever is adapted to move said support against the action of said spring.

3. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said support carries a horizontal-shaft extending radially with respect to said cylinder, a bevel gear affixed to the inner end of said horizontal shaft and enmeshed with said bevel geared rim, a worm gear formed on the outer portion of said horizontal shaft, a worm wheel rotatably mounted on said vertical shaft and enmeshed with said worm gear, and clutch means interconnecting the vertical shaft and said worm wheel.

4. A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said support carries a horizontal shaft extending radially with respect to said cylinder, a bevel gear affixed to the inner end of said horizontal shaft and enmeshed with said bevel geared rim, a worm gear formed on the outer portion of said horizontal shaft, a Worm wheel rotatably mounted on said vertical shaft and enmeshed with said worm gear, and clutch means interconnecting the vertical shaft and said worm wheel.

5. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said support carries a horizontal shaft extending radially with respect to said cylinder, a bevel gear affixed to the inner end of said horizontal shaft and enmeshed with said bevel geared rim, a worm gear formed on the outer portion of said horizontal shaft, a worm wheel rotatably mounted on said vertical shaft and enmeshed with said worm gear,

6 clutch means interconnecting the vertical shaft and said worm wheel, and independent means for raising and lowering said selection cams with respect to said support.

6. A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said support carries a horizontal shaft extending radially with respect to said cylinder, a bevel gear affixed to the inner References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,208,698 Lawson et al. July 23, 1940 2,928,266 Overton Mar. 15, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 570,156 Italy Dec. 4, 1957 

1. A HOSIERY MACHINE PROVIDED WITH A GROOVED NEEDLE CYLINDER, AN ANNULAR STATIONARY TABLE SURROUNDING SAID CYLINDER, A BEVEL GEARED RIM COAXIAL AND INTEGRAL WITH SAID CYLINDER AND POSITIONED BELOW SAID TABLE, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLE-CONTROLLING SLIDER CAMS MOUNTED IN VERTICAL SPACED RELATION ON SAID TABLE AND MOVABLE IN A RADIAL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO SAID CYLINDER, A SUPPORT MEMBER ARCUATELY AND SLIDABLY CARRIED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TABLE, A SHAFT VERTICALLY MOUNTED IN SAID SUPPORT, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED DISC-SHAPED SELECTION CAMS MOUNTED ON THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF BELL CRANK LEVERS MOUNTED IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION ON SAID TABLE AND EACH CONNECTED AT THE OUTER END OF ONE OF ITS ARMS TO AN OUTER END OF A SLIDER CAM FOR RADIALLY MOVING THE LATTER AND EACH PROVIDED AT THE OUTER 